Mechanism for raising and lowering trailer bodies relative to the wheels



Sept. 6, 1949, C DAVlS 2,480,909

MECHANISM FOR RAISING AND LOWERING TRAILER BODIES RELATIVE T0 THE WHEELS Filed Aug. 13, 1947 Z'Sheets--Shee'rl l IN V EN TOR.

ATT-'URN Y %ph 5, 1949. 3, DAVIS 2,480,909

MECHANISM FOR RAIsING AND LOWERING TRAILER BODIES RELATIVE To THE WHEELS Filed Aug. 13, 1947 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 /Z ,6 I4 EE, 5.

@i "3 INVENTOR. CA DAI/I5 A T TDRNY Patented Sept. 6, 1949 oirlrflfiCifE MEGHANISM liQlalAI TRAILER.; BODIES Y yWHEELSF smaealamiwrlaiael iilltezliiyaf'ra' Carl Davis SanvBablo, Salif; AnplicationfAuaustilS ISYaSllrrialrN-ll.. militia 1 Gla/ima (Cl.

This invention relates" tgv an improved` mechanism" for raising andlowering trailer bodies/relative to the wheels, and particularly relates; to ameansfor enabling the bedj ofthe trailer to be lowered to the ground and also raisedabovek the ground to any suitable position.l

One of'theA objects of thepresent invention is the provision of a trailer or other suitablev vehicle that can be used asa portable stare, suchY as employed inv carnivals, circuses, fruit standsandv othermarketing stan-ds,valong highways, and the like, whereby the bed of the vehicle can be lowered to the ground when it is desired' toset up the store and raised'to its upper normali running position when it is 'desired to move to another location.

Another object of the present invention is te sec-:urer each aXle of the vVehicle to: a verticallyr movable plunger and' to provide a hydraulic, means to lower and raise the plungersupon which the axles are secured.

A further object of the present invention is to preferably form the said plunger of a sub stanti-ally square congurationand` slidably posi tion the plunger in an. elongated square.. hollow bar, which bar is vertically positioned on the vehicle and substantially secured theretd A still further object of the present invention is to position a hydraulic cylinder above the said square bar, for enabling the plunger rod from the said cylinder to'extend in the said square hollow bar, and to fix a square plate on the lower extremity of the said plunger rod and position a coil spring between the said plate and the. toa face of the axle plunger, whereby the proper resiliency is provided f0.1 SllpDQrtirig the Still@- A still further object of the present invention is to provide means for locking the plunger reel, whereby the various adjustable heights of the vehicle are defined and the load of the vehiele is supported on, the vsaid locking means inde: pendently from the hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. e

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a trailer body raising and lowering mechanism of the character described that is durable, economical to manufacture, Simple. lli constructioapositive in operation, and highly eiiicient and serviceable in use. l

, Other objects and advantages will be apparent 2- @urina the @aurea Qf; the'. foilsiwirla desriiiiioa I nttheaecqmaariyirl flralicillaaifrmirle aa'rfii Qi ille sneclrlratiqri, W. trein fer ille plirpril illmiratilia like, numerals, dreien, airY lie prils' throlrsliliillisalilsi, Fie '1: isa f .raiillv elevators! View Qi, ihalievirze., makina luwarrli ilia Qllial; eil :Qi aigle! Fig. 2' is aside elevational; View of; tigreA devie au. Eier. riY transmise, rational View ai.' the p1; and lioliqw. saisis reirse Qin, line ifa-. 'er Fia 1.3 morire direstiqn Qi the aislebsirs slime Yaiipli, Eiaaisaverii de' elevaiielialiraamerliar-X new; of the planear rori. and; alulieer lQrl blatt emplear ielilreirireatierl, Eis. is. elle. elevaiinril View Qf, the said giungerrQCli aridfalaia; alla 6.' is a toe elan uur ef. a trailer irais@ @nel me imarerell Ole/rire ilrereea Eislian err@ eleratiarial View Qi the trailer frame. ansi the wheels iliereei, also shbwirls a wheel exterieurs and, retratina member een: tropea Qa eaeli side el ille trailer frame and av.. ,r trie axles. illustrating the frame irl its, liever normal.. running. aeaiilon and also .S frame., in dette@ li irl its. levier Position', iris... 8 is a diagrammatic view illllsliraiirla in prigaeiela the, aula wavering System, ellililizrd in ille invention. arid,

Fia t is a. valichi rational View Qi a madlliell term, er? tile irlventieil- Referring; in detail ia the drawings @all i9 the numerals designating the dliisrerii para thereof, the numeral 'l designates an elongated substantially square liar farmed millor? aat and slotted in. the flirter freni. face therlfiO-i .ris at i, silewli t9. advantage in Fisi- 1' eed, a if el Qnpositely diseased ariel@ members lil pre ably aperturecl as at l'll are welded te tll Sides ai tliellellawbar, whereby ille brrr 'earl bes: aired te the sides l2 Qi the' iralrie. li er sllitelle halts Il as shown lila 0r rigidly 'welded to the frame if desired e suitable llbirlrli lill square Pleaser lll, @ensirliierl la .Suitable manner is slidalalr eseiiianerl' lli lli@ hellen liar l. tpe said eraser @arriving e eslwrriislrlrll aisle lli..l The said plus er is arzerillrerl, et .ll elle the axle is taria@ will; a realice@ veriiea lll, which relisted peri/lea l is ,resse-fl lllill. ille plunger as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the axle and plunger are made integral one with the other` The numeral |9 designates a fluid pressure cylinder, having a removably secured cap and provided with an elongated plunger rod 2|. The said cylinder i9 is secured to the hollow bar 1 through the medium of an inverted U-shaped hanger 22, which hanger is shown as being removably secured to the bar by a plurality of suitable screws 23. However, the hanger can be welded to the bar if desired. A pair of vertically extending ears 24 arewelded-.Jto the top ofthe cap 20 and a downwardly extending ear 25 is centrally positioned on the inner top face of the hanger 22 and is rigidly welded thereto and ex-Y tends between the ears 24 on the -cylinder. A suitable bolt 26 projects through the said ears and sides of the hanger, as shown to advantage in Fig. 1, and is secured to the hanger by a nut 21, whereby the hanger is retained ,in position above the cylinder.

A threaded inlei'l opening 28 is provided in the upper portion of the cylinder for admitting fluid therein above the plunger y Y rod 2|. The lower portion of the plunger rod is threaded as at 29 for receiving a pair of rthreaded nuts 30, whereby Van apertured square `plate 3l having a sliding iit in the hollow bar 1, is re. tained on the lower portion of the plunger rod as shown to vadvantage in Fig. 4. A coil spring 32 is positioned in the hollow bar between said plate 3| and the top face ofthe plunger i5, whereby the proper resiliency is provided for supporting the vehicle.

The hydraulic mechanism and system provided for supplying the necessary fluid pressure to the cylinders for raising the Vtrailer body from the ground is illustrated in Figs. '7 and 8 and includes a suitable pump 33,' a conventional two way valve 34 and a fluid pressure tank 35. The numeral 36 designates a pipe line leading from pump, 33 "i to the bottom portionlof the tank 35. The numeral 31 designates a pipeline leading from the valve 34 to the top portion of the said tank. The numeral 38 designates apipe line extending across the trailer body to the top portions ofthe cylinders, connecting the cylinders one to the other, and the numeral 39 designates a pipe line leading from the valve 34 to the said cylinder connecting line 38. The numeral 40 designates a pipe line leading from the pump 33 to the valve 34. Numerals 4| and ,42 designate the pump handle and valve handle, respectively. The numeral 43 designates the Wheels of vthe vehicle and the numeral 44 the ground line. The drawings shown in Figs. '1 and 8 illustrate the hydraulic system in principle, it Vbeing understood that the pump, valve, tank' and various pipes can be of any suitable type and supportedand arranged in any suitable manner to properly serve the purpose of the inyention. 1

In Figs. 1 and '7 there is illustrated to advantage the normal position of the trailer frame relative to the axle and wheels when the trailer is in its normal running position. It will be particularly observed .that when the trailer is in its said running position, the axle is in the lower portion of the hollow bar 1 and is retained in that position by the bolts 45 extending through the holes 46 in the sides of the hollow bar 1 and the holes 41 in the plunger rod V2| .and plate 3|. Suitable pins or lock nuts 4d secure ,the said bolts to the bar. Whenit is desired to lower the trailer to the position shown in dotted vconfiguration in Fig. `'1, they said bolts are removed andthe lowering of the trailer body will cause the hydraulic cylinders to move downwardly on the plunger rod 2|, whereby the plunger l5 and axle I6 will take the position in the hollow bar as shown in Fig. 2, the said hollow bar and trailer frame moving to the ground line 44 as shown to advantage in Fig. 7, in which position the axle rod I6 rests against the upper extremity 49 of the slot 9 in the hollow bar. A small amount of hydraulic pressure can be applied against the plunger I5 for cushioning the lowering of the trailer. When it is desired to raise the trailer the pump is operated and the .valve 34 is opened to .the lines 39 and 4l).Y 'Ihe oil is pumped from the tank through the line 36 and to the valve 34 through line 40 and thence to the upper inlets :28 of the hydraulic cylinders and against the upper ends of the plunger rods 2| therein through 39 and 38, whereby the hydraulic pressure exerted against the said plunger rods will pull the hollow bar 1 and trailer frame secured thereto vupwardly to the normal running position shown in Figs. 1 and 'l' and in which position the bolts lock c he plunger rod to the hollow bar` In Fig. 9 there is shown a modified form of the invention embodying the same principle of securing the vehicle axle to a'plunger as setv forth in the foregoing description, but providing a me'- chanical principle foru adjusting the horizontal relationship of the trailerbody with respect to the wheels. In thesaid modified form of the invention the numeralf59 designates the elongated substantially square hollow vertical bar and the numeral 5| a substantially square plunger slidably positioned therein. The said hollow bar is vertically slotted as at 52 for accommodating the wheel axle 53, which axle is iixed to the said plunger in anysuitable manner. The said hollow bar is provided vwith, an upper end member 54 and .alower. end member 55, which end members 54 and 55 are retained within the bar andV substantially secured thereto by suitable screws 56 and 51, respectively. Theupper end member 54 is internally threaded as at 58 for accommodating asuitable jack screw 59, which jack screw threadedly extendsinto and through the axle plunger 5| as lat 60. The lower portion of the jack screw 59' is reduced in diameter as at 6| and extendsthrough an aperture 62 provided in the lower end member 55, the said lower end member being recessed as at G3 for accom- Inodating the collar 64 that isY positioned on the said reduced end portion l(il which end portion is secured to the collar Vby being peened therein as at 65. A suitable handle 651s Secured to the upper extremity of thejackscrew by the lock nut 61. Suitable' holes Eiland 69 are provided through thehollow-bar 53 and axle plunger 5|, respectively, wherebythe'plunger can be locked by suitableV bolts' in the'required position. From the foregoing' description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing it is obvious that when circumferential movement 'is'im'parted to the jack screw 'the plunger 5| carrying wheel axle 53 will vvenitically move on the said vjacl; screw and a wheel on Vthefaxle will thus be raised or' lowered relative 'to' the body of the trailer. Thehollowfbar 5 0 isresilientlysecured, vertically, to the body .0f tlfief-t1ailer in any Suitable manner. Y f g 4 It is to be understood that. the' Yform of my invention herewith/shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred'exampleoithesaine, and that various changes4 relativelto theshapasize,

' material andiarr'angem'entof parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In combination with a vehicle body and the Wheels supporting the same, a device of the character described comprising an elongated hollow bar vertically positioned on the vehicle body, a cylinder vertically positioned above the said hollow bar and secured thereto, a vertical plunger rod slidably positioned in the cylinder, a plate iixed on the lower end portion of the plunger rod and slidably mounted within the hollow bar, a plunger slidably mounted in the hollow bar and positioned beneath the said plate, a wheel axle iixed in the said plunger and horizontally extending therefrom, a slot vertically formed through one side of the hollow bar for enabling the wheel axle to horizontally extend through REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,340,416 Schneider May 18, 1920 2,002,605 Kincaid May 28, 1935 

